The highest-paid athlete in 2025 is Cristiano Ronaldo. He earned an estimated $275 million over the past 12 months, with $225 million coming from his salary and bonuses at Saudi club Al Nassr, and $50 million from endorsements and business ventures. This marks the third consecutive year and the fifth time overall that Ronaldo has topped Forbes' list of the world's highest-paid athletes. His $275 million earnings are the third-highest one-year total ever recorded by an athlete, behind only Floyd Mayweather's $300 million in 2015 and $285 million in 2018
. The second-highest earner is NBA star Stephen Curry, who made $156 million, significantly less than Ronaldo's total but still a record for basketball earnings
